“It’s on! Get behind the 4 September #McStrike”

21 August 2017

It’s on! Get behind the 4 September #McStrike

McDonald’s workers balloted at Crayford (south east London) and Cambridge stores have voted by an incredible 95.7 percent for strikes, and their BFAWU bakers’ union has now named Monday 4 September as the first strike day.

A strike committee of workers met and decided to go for the date for their historic action–the first ever strike at McDonald’s in the UK.

The workers taking this bold step need the URGENT solidarity of the wider trade union movement. Please give generously now to their strike fund HERE

Please also rush messages of support, encouragement and solidarity for the workers to fastfoodrights@mail.com

Already, just by voting to strike and organising in the union, the workers have gained an impressive shift from McDonald’s–who have stated only now after the strike vote that by the end of 2017 they will implement the twice promised offer of a guaranteed hours contract to every UK McDonald’s worker. The workers and BFAWU rightly want this signed off, but it is a major victory for the some 80,000 workers at McDonald’s and shows what getting organised, joining a union and taking action can do.

The strike remains on, over a number of grievances at the two workplaces, and the workers are also fighting for £10 an hour minimum wage now, union recognition, and for the demand on scrapping zero hours contracts to be implemented.

On the Saturday before the strike, 2 September, BFAWU is holding a protestat McDonald’s HQ in East Finchley, north London. We are calling on solidarity from the wider movement on this day, with banners, collections etc, brought along in support.

On the day of the strike, Monday 4 September, workers at the Cambridge site will picket from 6 – 7am, while workers at the Crayford site will picket from 6 – 7.30am.

The strikers and their supporters will then come together outside parliament at 10.30/11am for a rally including confirmed special guests to be announced. Stay posted for details of what will be happening after the rally. We are asking for maximum support possible with banners and supporters gathering at the rally, and for local activists and anyone who can to show their support at picket lines where possible too.

Outside London, we are calling for solidarity protests/ leafletings at McDonald’s stores in localities. Guidance for solidarity actions on the day:

Mostly we’d like a visible presence with the materials OUTSIDE the store, with at some point a couple of activists going in to leaflet the workers on shift, and if they sign the petition, for any contact details to be sent to the campaign centrally so we can follow up. It’s important to make sure the workers know any presence is fully supportive of the workers.

Contacting local MPs, councillors, community campaigns and union branches etc is always good, and sometimes getting any supporters from there to say a few words on a megaphone outside is useful to show the broad base of support for the workers.

It’s always good to take pictures and short videos so they can be shared and give the workers taking action more confidence. We are @FastFoodRights on twitter, and will be using #McStrike and #FastFoodGlobal, so it’s good to have someone or a few people allocated to make sure pictures and videos are tweeted there so the impact of the solidarity action is greater. Please send the details of any local action once they are ready to fastfoodrights@mail.com and we will publicise on the website.